Today’s Headlines: Hand Sanitizer’s Shortcomings, New Alzheimer’s Studies and More

Blueberries, Strawberries May Reduce Heart Attack Risk in Women: A new study found that eating at least three servings of blueberries and strawberries a week can reduce the risk of heart attack in women. Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study II to analyze the diets of about 93,600 women. They found that those who ate the most strawberries and blueberries were 32% less likely to suffer from an early heart attack. (LA Times)

Hand Sanitizer May Not Kill Norovirus: Studies have shown that “non-enveloped viruses, like norovirus, are generally not affected” by alcohol-based hand sanitizers. However, despite its ineptitude against norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis or the “stomach flu,” hand sanitizer “can still reduce microbial counts on contaminated hands and reduce the spread of some strains of the flu.” Bottom line: Wash your hands just in case. (New York Times)

NIH Announces Four Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Studies: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced four studies in progress that are aimed at finding treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, including one that assesses the positive effects of exercise. The research projects are expecting as much as $55 million from research organizations and the NIH itself. Results from the projects should be published by 2018, with hopes to have new, more-effective treatments by 2025. (The Hill).